Capri: The Island of Dreams

Ciao Tutti,

I’m on my way back from the beautiful island of Capri, also known as the Island of Dreams.  My five hours here was absolutely amazing.

When I got off the boat, I immediately was blown away by the beauty of the island.  The port sits between two mountains, one of which has the actual town of Capri situated on top of it.  The boats in the harbor combined with the colorful stores and restaurants behind them served as a warm welcome to Capri.

Harbor of Capri

After I arrived, I headed straight for a shack on the dock which advertised boat tours around the island for €16 including a stop at the world famous Blue Grotto.  I paid and after I got on the boat, an employee walked down and gave me my money back because they have a policy that people with disabilities ride free.  It was a nice surprise.  Our boat circled the entire island and stopped at different grottos along the way.  We saw the Red Coral Grotto which featured red, glowing coral under sea level.  We also stopped by the White Grotto which was all limestone.  We saw the famous Faraglioni of Capri as well as other sights to behold. I can honestly say that you could take a picture of anywhere along the coast of Capri and put it on a postcard.  Our last stop was the Blue Grotto.  I could not wait for this.  Last time I was in Rome, we tried to go to a less famous one off the coast of Sorrento, but the currents were too strong and I could not get off the boat.  This time, they take a small boat to your boat.  The cave entrance was only one meter wide and we had to duck, but it was so worth it.  The water was so blue.  It is hard to put into words.  The “blue effect” is due to the reflection of the sunlight off the ocean floor in a certain manner in that particular grotto.  Again, they would not let me pay a cent for the entrance to get into the grotto and the boat driver would not accept a tip. So far, the boat tour of the island was one of the main highlights of my trip.

Buildings along the harbor

Statue waving to tourists

Rock formations

Faraglioni of Capri

White Grotto

Goat

Blue Grotto

After we arrived back to the main port, I decided to take the tram up to the top of the mountain to visit the town of Capri.  The town itself was very expensive, but that didn’t stop me from walking around to enjoy the character of the town. Then, I sat down and had a gelato to take in some of the amazing views that the town had to offer.  I even met a few American girls studying in Florence!  After gelato, I went back down the tram, bought a souvenir, and got back on the boat.

View from the Town of Capri

Streets of Capri

Frozen orange juice with a view

Harbor of Capri

Capri was amazing.  The people were wonderful which was surprising for such a tourist destination. I now know why people talk so highly of Capri.

After I get back, I’m going to grab a bite to eat at a traditional Neapolitan pizzeria and head back to my hostel to sleep.  I have an early train to Florence tomorrow!

Note: This post was originally published on June 2, 2012 in a blog entitled “Romeing Around Europe…Again” which chronicled my post-graduation trip across Europe.